Gas-lighter.



No. 897,780. '7 PATENTED SEPT.1,1908. L. B. PRAHAR.

GAS LIGHTER.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 19, 1907.

l/VVENTOI? Zazzzsfifrakar A TTOHNE Y8 LOUIS B. PRAHAR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GAS-LIGHTER. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented- Sept. 1, 1908.

- Application filed November 19, 1907. Serial No. 402,874. i l

T 0 all whom it may concern:

' Be it-known that I, LoUIs B: PRAHAR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn,

5 in the county of Kings and State of New .York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gas-Lighters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a very simple and economic form of portable gas lighter, in which a flame is created by manually directing alcoholic vapors to a catalytic igniter, in such manner as to efiectually prevent the possibility of an explosion or ignition of the vapor in the reservoir or storage chamber of the lighten The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved lighter; Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation thereof; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the cartridge end of the lighter.

A represents the body of the lighter, which is in the form of a tube of any desired len th and diameter, and the upper end 10 of t '5 body tube is bent or inclined to one side; as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 but the said upper end of the body tube may be otherwise formed, and it may be rovided with the usual key for operating t e gas cock when so desired. An air bulb 1 1 of the usual valve construction is located at the lower end of the body tube A. This air bulb may be at the extreme lower end of the body tube, but by preference the body tube is made to pass through the said air bulb, as 1s 1llustrat ed1n Figs. 1 and 2, and when the an bulb 1s so located, apertures 12 are made in that portion of the body tube surrounded by the sa1d bulb. The lower end of the body tube when the tube passes through the bulb, 1s closed in any suitable manner. The sa1d body tube A may be in one piece, but by preference t is made in two sections a and a, so that it can be readily filled or be taken apart for storage, and the said sections a and a are connected by a rigid tubular coupling 14,

usually screwed into the sections, as is shown in Fig. 1. The greater portion of the interior ofthe body tube A is filled with a packing 15 of absorbent material, and this absorbent material is saturated with alcohol.

In connection with the body tube A, I employ a cartridge section B; this cartridge section may be attached to the body tube in any removable manner, for example, by means of a slip oint, as is shown in Fig. 3, or by a screw connection, or its e uivalent. A valve seat 16 in the form of a tu e, is located in the said cartridge at its lower end, and the upper portion of the valve seat when the cartridge is in position on the body, partially closes the upper end 10 of the body tube A, the complete closure being effected by acheck valve 17 located in said seat, and this check valve opens in direction of the outer end of the cartridge B, but is normally held seated by means of a spring 17" bearing on said valve and against a suitable cage 17", or its equivalent, butI do not confine myself to any specific construction of the valve.

The cartridge B is rovided between the valve and its outer en with a series of openings 18, and opposite the said openings within the said cartridge, a catalytic igniter C is suspended in any approved manner. This igniter may be of any appropriate construction; as is shown, it consists of a bunch of wires 0 of finelydivided platinum or like material, which possesses the property of becoming highly heated when exposed to gas. These wires are shown as being passed through a ring body 0, which in its turn has a link connection with a bolt 19, or its equivalent, that is screwed into the head portion of a cap 20, which closes the outer end ofthe cartridge and is removable therefrom.

In operation each time the bulb 11 is pressed and released by hand, air is taken in through the customary valve of the bulb and is forced into the body A of the lighter, thus the air is forced through the saturated material 15 in the said-body of the lighter and the alcoholic vapors are forced up the body tube, and opening the valve 17 pass to the igniter C which is rendered immediately incandescent, and in consequence the gas is-ignited and the flame is produced atthe openings 18 in the cartridge, whereby to light the gas at a burner. The valve 17 closes as soon as the air and gas are forced ast it, so that when the bulb ll expands it 1s impossible to draw down air intothe reservoir of the body, and thus an explosion or ignition is avoided in the said reservoir or chamber of the body carrying the stored alcohol.

This lighter is exceedingly simple in its constructlon, it is durable, and is easily manipulated, and furthermore it is positive and certain in its action.

I desire to have it understood that the valve shown is not absolutely necessary since an equivalent thereof may be employed, for instance the absorbent material may be carried up to a point near the catalytic igniter.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

' 1. As an improved article of manufacture, a gas lighter consisting of a body tube havin one portion provided with an air vent, an

another 0rt1on below the said vent provided with a ling of absorbent material ada ted to be saturated with alcohol, a catalytic igniter contained entirely Within the body tube 0 osite the said vent, and an air bulb carrielfby the body tube-at a point below its absorbent filling, and connections between said air bulb and the interior of the body tube whereby a light is automaticallycreated only upon pressing the said air bulb, and the flame produced is directed to said vent.

- 2. As an improved article of manufacture, a gas lighter consisting of a body tube having one ortion' provided with an air vent, and anot er portion below the said vent provided with a' filling of absorbent material ada ted to be saturatedwith alcohol, a cata ytic igniter contained entirely within the body tube 0 posite the said vent, and an air bulb carrie by the body tube at a point below its absorbent filling, and connections between said air bulb and the interior of the body tube 7 whereby a light is automatically created only upon pressing the said air bulb, and the flame roduced is directed to'said vent, and a contro ling means for the fuel sup ly located between the absorbent filling an the catalytic igniter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS B. PRAHAR,

Witnesses:

EVERARD B. MARSHALL, J. FRED. ACKER. 

